The overall objective of this SPORE Laboratory Animal Core is to facilitate preclinical research in human lung cancer through the use of subcutaneous and orthotopic cancer cell and tissue transplants (xenografts) in in vivo pharmacotherapeutic rodent models. In addition, this core will provide breeding and procurement of conventional, wild type, transgenic and gene-null (knockout), genetically altered mice for the study of gene function, cell signaling and novel drug development in cancer cell development and suppression. This shared resource will provide purchase, production breeding of and maintenance of specific pathogen-free, barrier-sustained, conventional, transgenic, knockout and athymic nude mice for SPORE investigators in research projects in this program. This CORE will also provide gross and histopathology services, assist in cancer cell and tissue inoculations and transfers, tumor measurements, harvests and animal model preparations for all program investigators using animal models. Animal studies supported by this CORE are focused on the primary SPORE Program objective which is to decrease incidence and mortality from lung cancer by the discovery of cellular and molecular events involved in the progression of lung cancer and the translation of these discoveries into clinical applications.